Police warn of scam

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South Lake Tahoe Police Department has warned residents of a scam.

Police were contacted Saturday regarding a possible fraud. A resident of South Lake Tahoe received a phone call from a male subject who identified himself as an agent with the Drug Enforcement Agency. The male told the resident he was investigating a mail order prescription purchase the resident had made in 2006. The resident was told to send/wire $1,000 to avoid being arrested on criminal charges for making an illegal prescription purchase via the internet. The resident called the police and did not send the money.

The DEA is aware of this scam and has posted a warning on the DEA website advising criminals are posing as DEA Agents and attempting to extort money from people who have purchased prescriptions via the internet. The impersonator tells the person they will take action, which includes arrest, if they don't pay a fine. The person is instructed to wire transfer money which is usually to an overseas account.

If anyone is ever contacted by someone who claims to be DEA Agent or any law enforcement officer and demands money or any other form of payment, it is a scam! Law enforcement officers will never contact anyone and demand money in exchange for their not being charged or arrested for a crime. Never give anyone your personal or financial information over the phone or e-mail unless you have verified who the person is and what company they work for.

Visit www.justice.com/dea for more information about this scam. If you have been the victim of this scam, contact the DEA at 1-877-792-2873 or notify your local law enforcement agency.